Bachchan retained his crown from last year,
edging out actor Richard Gere, top model John Abraham, southern heartthrob
Madhavan, industrialist Anil Ambani and cricketer Anil Kumble. President Abdul
Kalam was a very popular nominee, and he came a close second in the running.

First-time winner Yana Gupta finished ahead of Liv Tyler, Shania
Twain, Pamela Anderson and last year’s winner, Esha Deol, in the online
contest, which drew over 37,000 total votes at PETAIndia.com. Both winners will
receive a special plaque from PETA in recognition of their compassionate
lifestyles. Lord of the Rings star Orlando Bloom, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow
finished in the top ten as well.

Yana, whose healthful diet also excludes all dairy products, has
captured India’s heart since she settled here. The Bollywood newcomer has
been modelling since she was 16 and has also lived in Milan, Paris and Vienna.
Yana, who attributes her beautiful complexion to her diet, said that she was
honoured to learn the news of her win.

‘If others learn about
the benefits of a vegetarian diet as a result of this, then this contest will
have many winners’, she said, adding that “being paired with Mr
Bachchan was great, especially considering that he’s who I would vote
for’.

Upon learning of his win last year, Amitabh faxed a
thank-you note to the PETA staff, saying, ‘I am happy to have been voted a
leader in your contest.... I am a vegetarian by choice and out of purely
personal inclination’. Bachchan’s portrayal of a rebellious,
formidable character in many of his more than 140 films reflects the masculine
image and lean, muscular strength of bullocks and stallions, who are also
natural vegetarians.

The tall, lean actor, whose classics include
Zanjeer and Deewar, has too much respect for himself to poison his body with the
fat, cholesterol and pathogens found in animal flesh.

Why are so
many hotties ‘vegging out’ these days? For animals (cows, chickens
and buffaloes suffer horribly at the hands of the meat industry), for the
environment (the meat trade is the single greatest polluter on the planet) and
for their health (meaty diets promote cancer, heart disease and diabetes, all of
which plague Indians) – not to mention that vegetarians are noticeably
slimmer and trimmer than their flesh-eating counterparts.

‘If
you care about animals, your health, the planet and even your looks, a
vegetarian diet is the only way to go!’ says PETA India’s Anuradha
Sawhney.